The present invention relates to the art of communicating design information. More specifically, the present invention relates to the art of communicating design information over a network.
To design a large or complex device, many designers work together with each designer contributing to a portion of the design. Then, the contributed portions of the design are integrated into a single design by a system integrator. For example, to design a complex semiconductor device such as an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit) device, an integrator typically hires design vendors to submit designs for various blocks, or portions, of the ASIC device. Each of the design blocks is typically defined by identifying the design block""s attributes and parameters, including, for example, physical size, electrical characteristics, and operating properties.
For the integrator and the vendors to communicate effectively, the design parameters and attributes must be clearly defined and understood by all of the parties. However, this is difficult because the integrator and the vendors may use different sets of attributes to describe a design block. Moreover, even if the integrator and the vendors use same sets of attributes to describe the design block, they may have diverging definitions for these attributes. Typically, the integrator, as a customer of the vendors"" products and services, requires the vendors to agree to use the integrator""s sets of attributes and their definitions. Then, the integrator""s sets of attributes and their definitions are sent to the vendors. When the integrator""s design attribute sets and definitions are updated, the updated sets and definitions are again communicated to each of the vendors. These communications lack standardized formats and methods.
Following the agreements regarding the design block attribute sets and their definitions, the integrator and the vendors must communicate design specifications for the design blocks. The design specifications include actual values for the attributes of the design blocks. However, there is no efficient solution for electronic transfer of design block specification. Ad hoc solutions to this problem exist; these ad hoc solutions typically employ commercial spreadsheet programs or databases for exchange of information based on predefined templates. These templates may be a simple attribute and value lists or indexes. Alternatively, these templates may include complex objects and metadata. The format and the contents of these ad hoc solutions and their templates vary widely from vendor to vendor and from project to project. Moreover, each time the attribute list change, entire spreadsheets or databases must be updated to accommodate the change.
Accordingly, there remains a need for a design information communication system that allows for efficient communications of designs and specifications between the system integrator and the vendors.
These needs are met by the present invention. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a design information communication system includes a design dictionary. The design dictionary includes definition of various design attributes. The design information communication system may also include a design directory. The design directory identifies attributes for a design, and identifies a design dictionary in which the identified attributes are defined. Finally, the design information communication system may include design data block providing values for the identified attributes of the design directory.
The design dictionaries may be used for defining parameters and attributes for all the parties involved in the design. The design directory, typically defined by the integrator, may include the attributes of a particular design in a predefined format. The design data blocks may include actual values for the attributes for a particular design directory in the predefined format. Using the dictionaries and the directories, the integrator and the vendors have common definitions and the list of attributes required for a design. The vendors merely need to provide, to the integrator, the data blocks in a predefined, known format.
The invention may be implemented as a design information communication system including a dictionary repository server having at least one design dictionary defining design attributes. Connected to the server 102 may be a first client having a design directory identifying attributes for a design. The identified attributes may be defined by at least one design dictionary of the dictionary repository server. The design directory may identify at least one design dictionary of the dictionary repository server which defines the attributes.
The invention may be implemented as an article of manufacture having machine-readable storage. The storage may include encoded data structure for a design dictionary and a design directory.
Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example, the principles of the present invention.